The retirement ceremony of Choo Shin-soo, owner of the SSG Landers in professional baseball, assistant to the owner, and head of player development, was celebrated by many of his colleagues and juniors in Korean baseball.

Choo Shin-soo held the retirement ceremony after the game between SSG and Lotte at the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 14th.

Choo Shin-soo, who recorded a batting average of .275 over 1,652 games in Major League Baseball (6,087 at-bats, 1,671 hits), with 218 home runs, 782 RBIs, 961 runs, 157 stolen bases, and an OPS of .824, was active as the best Korean player in history. He returned to Korea in February 2021 when he signed a contract with SSG for 2.7 billion won. In the KBO League, he recorded a batting average of .263 over 439 games (1,505 at-bats, 396 hits), with 54 home runs, 205 RBIs, 266 runs, 51 stolen bases, and an OPS of .812, and he contributed to SSG’s wire-to-wire victory in 2022.

Having retired from active duty at the end of last season, Choo Shin-soo began a new career in the front office as assistant to the owner and head of player development. While leading a busy life with new challenges, he concluded his final schedule as a player with this retirement ceremony.

On this day, numerous players sent congratulatory videos. Teammates Kim Kwang-hyun, Choi Jung, Noh Kyung-eun, Han Yoo-seom, Choi Ji-hoon, Oh Tae-gon, Park Sung-han, and Lee Ji-young, as well as contemporaries Lee Dae-ho and Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung), and juniors Son Ah-seop (NC), Kim Tae-kyun (KIA), Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha), Kang Min-ho (Samsung), Lee Yong-kyu (Kiwoom), Go Young-pyo (KT), and Jeon Jun-woo (Lotte) congratulated Choo Shin-soo on his retirement.

Kim Kwang-hyun said, “You’ve really worked hard, Shin-soo. As the best baseball player in the U.S. and Korea, I learned a lot by seeing you as a role model for the juniors. I’ll support your second life going forward, and I hope you can help us a lot from the side. Thank you.”

Choi Jung said, “It was truly an honor to be able to play on the same team as the best baseball player in Korea. Thank you for leading the team well, and I learned a lot from being by your side. I also congratulate you on your new beginning, and I hope you spend happy times with your family.”

Lee Dae-ho said, “Congratulations on your retirement. It feels overwhelming and happy to see you retiring as you receive congratulations from many people. You’ve really worked hard and endured a lot. I hope you forget everything now and spend a lot of happy times with your family,” while Oh Seung-hwan also encouraged, “You’ve walked a really difficult path, and through your long efforts, you’ve proven to many Korean baseball fans and colleagues that Korean players can excel in Major League Baseball. Therefore, I believe you have left a truly great legacy. You’ve really worked hard, and I hope more players like Choo Shin-soo will emerge going forward, and that you will guide the juniors well.”

Ryu Hyun-jin said, “It was a meaningful day to face off against such a great senior. Not only that, but even after returning to Korea, being able to face off against Shin-soo was one of the best memories for me, still fresh in my mind. You’ve worked hard all this time, and I’ll support you in your new life so that the road ahead is filled with flowers.”

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